thepokerkid123
Visionary
Silver Level
Excuse the introductory ramblings. You’re not missing anything if you skip them:
I said I’d write something for the cash game weekly discussion thingy and didn’t. I’m lazy, my bad. Truthfully I’ve got tons of stuff on right now and figured that thread (whilst a great idea that would be in everyone’s best interest to keep going) is going to have difficulty in lasting because the list of guys willing to post it is about... hmmm, less than five? I think that’s fair. Anyway, we should all contribute to this sort of a thing because discussion is definitely very +EV, offering information to others is great because 1) Nothing you know is that valuable. There are like 2-3 people here who know anything poker related that’s maybe worth keeping quiet about. 2) Talking about ideas helps to determine where you can improve, and occasionally someone else will come along with something you don’t know.
Now, here’s my contribution to the weekly discussion topics, it’s intentionally non-informative to show that you don’t need to know anything to do it, you’ve just got to start a discussion and nothing more so put your hand up for the next one and keep this thing going.
/Ramblings
Ok, let’s talk 3betting pre-flop.
IP, OOP, blind defence and sizing.
What is a 3bet?
It’s the 3rd bet. The guy in the big blind posts the BB (one bet), someone raises (second bet) and someone re-raises (third bet=3bet).
Key notes on 3betting:
Most opponents will fold in the ballpark of 70% of the time to 3bets, this means that they are frequently immediately profitable (meaning you can often do it with any two cards).
Your raise sizing determines how often you need your opponent to fold for it to be profitable.
Most microstakes 3betting ranges are very strong, purely for value (aside from extreme fish).
When you 3bet a hand that has value when played to the river but can’t stack pre-flop (example: TT is very capable of profitably seeing a lot of showdowns but can almost never call a 4bet shove pre-flop) then you waste its value. For this reason 3betting nuts and junk and just calling with medium strength hands is usually better.
3bet pots play dramatically different post-flop, stacks will go in sooner and you SHOULD stack light. That fish that value towned himself with TPTK against your awesomely slow played nuts that one time, whether he knew it or not he was correct and if you wouldn’t do the same in his shoes, you’re leaking chips, badly.
Ok, now I’m going to stop making sense and let you guys do the logical parts, here’s a questionnaire, all questions assume opponents are unknowns:
In Position
Q1: What ratio of value hands and bluff hands do you have in your 3bet range on a new table, when in position? Why?
- If you don’t know this, figuring it out will increase your winrate.
Q2: What are the advantages to 3betting compared to calling? What % of hands would you call a MP open raise with when on the BTN?
Q3: Keeping your answer to the first question in mind, what 3bet sizing is optimal for you? Why?
Out of Position
Q1: What range is more profitable to just call than to 3bet vs a MP open raise?
- Remember, players are unknowns. You can say how you’d respond to standard TAGs, LAGs, fish, whatever, just don’t cop out with “I need reads”, either assume it’s your first hand, or make some common reads up.
Q2: When you 3bet OOP (vs someone who’s not in a steal position), 100bb deep, are you bluffing with your stack often post-flop?
Q3: What sizing is optimal for your 3bets when OOP?
- Tip: Think about how much fold equity you need to make it profitable with your range and what SPR your range is going to play best with post-flop.
Blind Defence
- This is similar to just OOP but we’re assuming villain is raising from a steal position and our read is that they’re probably stealing wide.
Q1: What range should you be calling with, and what range should you be 3betting with?
Q2: What 3bet sizing should you be using and how will it affect play post-flop?
Sorry if I butchered this, or the questions are bad for whatever reason, I haven’t proof read it, that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it.
The point I’m trying to make about 3betting: Nothing. I just want people to think about it and post their thoughts. This is a discussion, not an instruction.
I said I’d write something for the cash game weekly discussion thingy and didn’t. I’m lazy, my bad. Truthfully I’ve got tons of stuff on right now and figured that thread (whilst a great idea that would be in everyone’s best interest to keep going) is going to have difficulty in lasting because the list of guys willing to post it is about... hmmm, less than five? I think that’s fair. Anyway, we should all contribute to this sort of a thing because discussion is definitely very +EV, offering information to others is great because 1) Nothing you know is that valuable. There are like 2-3 people here who know anything poker related that’s maybe worth keeping quiet about. 2) Talking about ideas helps to determine where you can improve, and occasionally someone else will come along with something you don’t know.
Now, here’s my contribution to the weekly discussion topics, it’s intentionally non-informative to show that you don’t need to know anything to do it, you’ve just got to start a discussion and nothing more so put your hand up for the next one and keep this thing going.
/Ramblings
Ok, let’s talk 3betting pre-flop.
IP, OOP, blind defence and sizing.
What is a 3bet?
It’s the 3rd bet. The guy in the big blind posts the BB (one bet), someone raises (second bet) and someone re-raises (third bet=3bet).
Key notes on 3betting:
Most opponents will fold in the ballpark of 70% of the time to 3bets, this means that they are frequently immediately profitable (meaning you can often do it with any two cards).
Your raise sizing determines how often you need your opponent to fold for it to be profitable.
Most microstakes 3betting ranges are very strong, purely for value (aside from extreme fish).
When you 3bet a hand that has value when played to the river but can’t stack pre-flop (example: TT is very capable of profitably seeing a lot of showdowns but can almost never call a 4bet shove pre-flop) then you waste its value. For this reason 3betting nuts and junk and just calling with medium strength hands is usually better.
3bet pots play dramatically different post-flop, stacks will go in sooner and you SHOULD stack light. That fish that value towned himself with TPTK against your awesomely slow played nuts that one time, whether he knew it or not he was correct and if you wouldn’t do the same in his shoes, you’re leaking chips, badly.
Ok, now I’m going to stop making sense and let you guys do the logical parts, here’s a questionnaire, all questions assume opponents are unknowns:
In Position
Q1: What ratio of value hands and bluff hands do you have in your 3bet range on a new table, when in position? Why?
- If you don’t know this, figuring it out will increase your winrate.
Q2: What are the advantages to 3betting compared to calling? What % of hands would you call a MP open raise with when on the BTN?
Q3: Keeping your answer to the first question in mind, what 3bet sizing is optimal for you? Why?
Out of Position
Q1: What range is more profitable to just call than to 3bet vs a MP open raise?
- Remember, players are unknowns. You can say how you’d respond to standard TAGs, LAGs, fish, whatever, just don’t cop out with “I need reads”, either assume it’s your first hand, or make some common reads up.
Q2: When you 3bet OOP (vs someone who’s not in a steal position), 100bb deep, are you bluffing with your stack often post-flop?
Q3: What sizing is optimal for your 3bets when OOP?
- Tip: Think about how much fold equity you need to make it profitable with your range and what SPR your range is going to play best with post-flop.
Blind Defence
- This is similar to just OOP but we’re assuming villain is raising from a steal position and our read is that they’re probably stealing wide.
Q1: What range should you be calling with, and what range should you be 3betting with?
Q2: What 3bet sizing should you be using and how will it affect play post-flop?
Sorry if I butchered this, or the questions are bad for whatever reason, I haven’t proof read it, that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it.
The point I’m trying to make about 3betting: Nothing. I just want people to think about it and post their thoughts. This is a discussion, not an instruction.
